


A dedicated shift

by fish_wifey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 'I'm putting up with your behaviour because you're my friend' Tsukishima, Color Blindness, Friendship, Gen, colourblind Hinata, dog lover Yamaguchi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 14:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4482218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fish_wifey/pseuds/fish_wifey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(A colourblind) Hinata starts wondering about Yamaguchi. The latter turns out to be a hard worker, likes dogs, and doesn't take shit from Tsukishima about his love for the loyal animals. </p><p>Hinata & Yamaguchi friendship extension fic written for <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/4314135">Monochrome</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	A dedicated shift

**Author's Note:**

> Sara's fic is so beautifully written and has such a softness and descriptions... It's so gorgeous *v*
> 
> I just couldn't help but think about how Yamaguchi would be changing from one side of the white/black spectrum when he's next to Tsukishima all the time, and how their friendship developed with Hinata's colour blindness (in this sorta au where he has it).

Shouyou doesn’t see himself as someone who ‘knows’ people. For him, the world divides itself into simple colours and hues of grey. People change, this much is true. But the most Shouyou feels about people is his gut-feeling, and whether they belong to the white side or on the black side of the spectrum.

He considers this, ball in hand, watching from behind Tanaka as Kageyama runs into his jump serve approach. He hides behind Tanaka when the light surrounding Kageyama becomes too blinding, as if he commands the entire air around him to be like him, modifies the way he needs it too. Rolling the ball in his hand, Shouyou keeps his ‘dictator king’ grumbles on the low. Tanaka voices them out loud, when Kinoshita on the other side of the net has no chance receiving the first year’s serve.

“He’s as strong as ever, isn’t he? Kinda pisses me off how he dictates his course. Way too perfect.” It’s not all poisonous, when Tanaka speaks. Shouyou glances up, to where the dark grey figure stands tall and proud. Both hands on his hips, he holds his own volleyball easy between his torso and lower arm. 

“It pisses me off how he raises the bar for the rest of us to try the same.” 

Shouyou squints, the way he got used to do, before he turns backwards. He dislikes agreeing with Tsukishima on most days, especially when it concerns Kageyama. At least he can disagree to have any problems with bars being raised to better his performance. 

Tsukishima glances down at him, and as if he can read minds (Shouyou swears he sometimes /does/), he smiles. 

“Before you think raised bars are no problem for you… how about growing a little taller to reach them first?” Tsukishima snorts. Yamaguchi, the tail of their current serve rotation, joins in with the laughter. “Or at least try and get the ball over the net this time.” 

It’s been a few weeks playing in a ‘team’ with these two, but their sides haven’t changed. Even after Tsukishima and Yamaguchi dorned the black Karasuno uniform, their beings remained on the white side. Shouyou shuffles forward, trailing after Tanaka, who’s second in line for serving now. Kageyama is on the other side, talking to Sugawara about tossing (yet again). Here, those who have served line up once more for another practice coach Ukai puts them through. Watching Kageyama’s dull, warm aura next to the soft grey aura that is Sugawara’s being, Shouyou wonders if people, after all, can change.

“Alright, let’s fucking do this!” Tanaka’s yell snaps him out of his daydreaming. Though pumped to try a jump serve, he sadly fails, ending up on his ass and with the ball plopping on his face. Ukai yells at him, but it’s good-natured. 

“Try jump serves on your own time, Tanaka! Stop disrupting practice!” the coach exclaims, a smile on his lips nonetheless. Before Shouyou’s nerves can act up about _him_ disrupting practice with a failed serve, Tanaka turns towards the first years.

“Don’t be afraid about competition within the team or having to be just as good as others.” Tanaka points at them, before pointing a thumb at his own chest.

“Because we have our senpai to watch our backs. Yes, we know, Tanaka-san.” Tsukishima mumbles loud enough to be heard, but not genuine enough to bring Tanaka’s spirits low. Their upperclassman laughs over it. 

“Not just that, Tsukishima, although it’s true. How can you know what works best for you, or how far you can go, without trying? And not doing perfect and awesome like Kageyama is just part of being normal dudes like us.” Tanaka has to sprint to the other side, as Ukai aims a ball to serve at him for stalling. Their senpai’s laughter rings through the gymnasium, making Shouyou’s nerves disappear.

“Says someone who isn’t normal to begin with,” Tsukishima says to Yamaguchi, who nods. 

“Tanaka-san is really strong, so for him to do reckless stuff and then fall on his ass-”

“Literally.” Tsukishima interrupts, both laughing.

“It’s alright for him!” Yamaguchi finishes. Both of them look at Shouyou next, whose shoulders go up in defense. Their faces clearly say, ‘And probably alright for people like him, who aren’t strong’. 

Shouyou shakes it off and readies the ball for his serve, lifting it in the air with one arm. He tries not to envision Kageyama (his face or the back of his head), and only wishes for the course not to hit the net. When it does, he takes Tsukishima’s and Yamaguchi’s laughs, as well as Kageyama’s ‘Dumbass!’ in stride.

People may change. But these three? Not anytime soon.

*~*~*

The first time he notices the alteration in his limited colour spectrum is with Yamaguchi. It’s so subtle, he almost misses it. 

After practice on Friday evening, Daichi tells the team they’ve done excellent this week, and he would buy them meat buns again. Due to a discussion in the club room, the first years run late and arrive last at the store. 

While Kageyama moves on to claim a curry pork-bun, eyes wide, Shouyou turns around to call out to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who straggle behind, but his breath catches when Yamaguchi crouches down to pet a passing dog. Within less than the second it takes to bow down, Yamaguchi leaves Tsukishima’s white aura, and becomes grey. Shouyou’s breath hitches and he stands there frozen, watching Yamaguchi pet the dog with a bright and brilliant smile. He could have argued the event to be a play of sunlight, nothing extraordinary, and follows Kageyama. Yet, the sun had started to set behind their mountain skyline, and the lamppost lights wouldn’t be on for another few minutes. 

To be sure of what he sees, Shouyou takes a few steps back. There’s a fair distinction now, where Tsukishima stands and looks down, to where Yamaguchi crouches on his knees to play with the dog.

“This is exactly the reason I can’t go anywhere with you anymore. Every time, Yamaguchi. Every time.” 

“We’ve been friends half our lives, Tsukki. Time to get used to it. _And aren’t you a good boy_! Yes, you are!” Yamaguchi’s voice changes when he talks to the Shiba-inu, and the dog’s tail waggles at the lower, sweeter voice directed at him. “Such a sweet and good-looking fellow.”

“You once crossed the street in Sendai to pet a French bulldog. That isn’t normal.” Tsukishima’s voice sounds more than displeased to have stopped walking for what sounded like the 100th time. But Shouyou notices how he doesn’t make a move, or make Yamaguchi to stop giving the dog attention. He just stands still and waits, slight huffs move past his lips while he waits for Yamaguchi to be done..

“Such a grumpy, tall friend I’ve got, don’t you think? Not as cute as you, at all. No, there’s probably no one cuter than you!” Yamaguchi scratches the dog behind the ears, his voice still low and sweet when he talks. Shouyou blinks up at Tsukishima, who hasn’t noticed his presence yet.

“You say those words to every dog, I swear, Yamaguchi-”

“Don’t listen to the grumpy tall friend, little one. You’re special, you’re sooo cute!” Yamaguchi cuts through, leaving Tsukishima’s open mouth unable to utter another sound. This close, Shouyou can see what a few girls in his class had talked about. The meaning of a thing he hadn’t understood before. Yamaguchi has freckles. They’re a dark grey on his face, spots going from one side to the other, across the nose. Shouyou hurts his brain thinking how he never saw them before, when Tsukishima gave off so much white light-

“Oh,” Shouyou says out loud, not bothered when both eyes of his teammates looked at him. Even the dog moves his head in Yamaguchi’s hands, to glance at the sudden sound.

Tsukishima is the first to speak. “Are you done yet? The nice lady probably wants to go home now and not stand here in the Summer’s heat to have her dog petted all night by some lunatic.” 

As if he hadn’t heard Tsukishima, Yamaguchi gives the dog a kiss on the nose, who tries fighting him for it, then a kiss on the snout, and a last rub on the head. “You’re the sweetest! Now go home and stuff your belly. We’re also going to have something to eat, before Mr. Grumpy Tallness behind me becomes ravenous.”

Tsukishima, also on behalf of Yamaguchi, bows and apologizes to the dog’s owner, while Yamaguchi only has eyes for the retreating dog, who still waggles his tail and looks back to where Yamaguchi still crouched on a semi-eye level. Shouyou hears the senpai behind him calling out, but his eyes are fixed on Yamaguchi. 

“Can’t go anywhere with you.” Tsukishima repeats, now trying to kick at Yamaguchi’s shoes to make him get up already.

“You could have walked on without me anytime a cute dog happened to catch my attention, Tsukki. It’s not like I had you on a leash.” Yamaguchi makes a face that only makes sense to the dog, whose owner also waves back before they rounded a corner. The dog barks, then vanishes behind a corner. 

“I would have had a lonely life then, leaving you behind so much. You also made me go to my neighbor's dog all the time.” Tsukishima sounds spoiled, Shouyou thinks. As if not having Yamaguchi’s 24/7 attention hurts his ego. 

“I didn’t ‘make’ you. I asked if you wanted to go and you always said yes. There’s a difference.” Yamaguchi looks up to Tsukishima, as if he’s explaining this for as long as they have known each other. Shouyou has no idea how long that may be, and if ‘half our lives’ had been an overestimation. 

“I had to go, my big brother made me.” Tsukishima grumbles, and adds in a low voice if Yamaguchi would have the decency to get off the road now that there was no dog near. 

“Why, was he afraid you’d lose your only friend that quick?” Smiling, Yamaguchi doesn’t move, waiting for Tsukishima’s reply. Shouyou has never heard of Yamaguchi teasing Tsukishima, or heard of any of their childhood in the weeks they’ve played together.

“No. Because you’re too reckless. He was scared you’d get your hand bitten off one day, petting all sorts of dogs.” Something on Tsukishima’s face darkens, and Shouyou has half a mind asking if that fear had been his own. He swallows the teasing words, as Yamaguchi’s laughs interrupts his thoughts, and gets up.

Giving them some space, Shouyou retreats a little to the side, and watches Yamaguchi stand again. Once more, his colours change, the hues of grey whitening. Standing next to Tsukishima somehow made him appear more on the white than the black or even the grey. Even his freckles fade. Not so his smile, which he flashes at Tsukishima, head dipping as he does so.

“I’m so sorry, ne! For giving you so much hardship growing up around a friend to dogs.” 

“I never said hardships.” Tsukishima brushes past Shouyou without noticing his presence anymore. Tsukishima argues, while Yamaguchi laughs and tries to appease him. All Shouyou can do is walk behind them, and watch Yamaguchi like a hawk. Watching for any more changes. He appears to be the way Shouyou had known him since the first time they’ve met, when Kageyama lost his patience teaching him how to do receives.

“Hinata, you dumbass. What the hell were you doing out there?” Kageyama scoffed, throwing away the package of his snack and giving Shouyou the last of the meat buns. 

“N-nothing. I just.” Shouyou glances at Kageyama. Now he can blame the lamppost for going and changing people’s appearances. He doesn’t dare peek at Yamaguchi, who seems to have stopped teasing Tsukishima. 

*~*~*

After the first display of getting to know more about Yamaguchi, Shouyou notices something when he gets switched out for Yamaguchi, that first time. Out of Tsukishima’s shadows and presence, Yamaguchi isn’t as ‘white’ as he had believed. Light grey, maybe, but there are hints of black where his hair and his freckles are. Those tiny spots of black across the nose became more prominent, and appear as dark as the uniform they both wear. Unnerved by seeing this in the match against Aobajousai, Shouyou blurts out how he wouldn’t lose to Yamaguchi, who then gives him the substitute plank and crosses the court-line. 

At least in volleyball, Shouyou considers when he walks to the substitute area, people change. 

*~*~*

Kageyama’s shift from white to black goes through different hues of grey. There are specks of white still, which disrupt Shouyou’s chest at times. It’s worse before they leave for training camp, when he and Kageyama have a fight.

Not one to dwell on the bad stuff, Shouyou walks over to Yamaguchi, to chat with him. They’ve become friendly over time, especially after losing at the Inter-High. People bond together when there’s another enemy; this had been Shouyou’s first lesson at Karasuno. It’s also curiosity. He likes knowing more about his teammates, and Yamaguchi, out of all the first years to choose from, is by far the friendliest. It’s also around this time Shouyou finds differences in what the people around him call ‘skin colours’. Tanaka’s, Kageyama’s and Yamaguchi’s are all a few tints darker than say that of Kiyoko, Yachi, or Tsukishima. 

Regarding the latter, Shouyou knows he and Yachi are ‘blond’, their hair both white. Shouyou gives Yachi credit for having a softer colour, though. 

During camp, when every member of Karasuno strays across a few gyms to do individual training or serve practice, Shouyou finds himself closer to Yamaguchi once again. It probably has to do something with Tsukishima’s absence. Whenever they do their extra or individual training after the practices matches (not to mention the numerous losses), Tsukishima is always the first one to disappear. 

Maybe it’s because Yamaguchi shows a genuine wish to grow stronger, to leave the shadows of the substitute area, to stand on the court along the rest. Shouyou cannot say he likes it much, but he cannot dislike it either; Yamaguchi’s will reflects on his aura, which darkens every day, like a crow waiting for the bait. It becomes so dark, even when he stands next to Tsukishima, he doesn’t appear as white as the first time Shouyou saw him. 

“You’re a good guy, huh, Yamaguchi?” he says out of nowhere, as they both stand on the backline, waiting for balls to be returned to their side. Shouyou means it, smiling when he bumps Yamaguchi’s arm.

“Uh, thanks. I guess?” Yamaguchi jumps when Nishinoya calls out his name, and he has trouble catching the ball coming for him. Staring at Shouyou, Yamaguchi doesn’t move, his face confused. For Shouyou, at least there is no confusion left to think about Yamaguchi’s ‘side’ on the spectrum. 

“Aim for a good one, Yamaguchi!” He just grins, waving his arms to Kageyama at the other side, and also warning him not to hit too hard. Each of them is able to do proper receives. In the end, Yamaguchi’s confusion makes way for a smile. 

Yeah, people do change.


End file.
